SENATORS have expressed support for the Department of Tourism (DOT), warning that the Philippines stands to lose heavily if the agency is left with insufficient funds to promote the country abroad.
At the Senate Committee on Tourism’s organizational meeting and briefing on Wednesday, Tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco revealed that the DOT has been allotted a measly P100 million for branding and promotions this year.
“Our branding and promotions budget has steadily declined – from P1 billion before the pandemic, to P1.2 billion in 2023, down to P200 million in 2024, and now only P100 million in 2025,” Frasco said.
She noted that while the DOT has “sustained and even surpassed pre-pandemic performance in visitor receipts despite sharp budget cuts,” the Philippines is struggling to keep pace with its ASEAN neighbors, many of whom allocate multi-million-dollar funds annually for tourism campaigns.
“When other countries are aggressively funding their campaigns to capture global attention, our resources have been shrinking. This puts Philippine tourism at a disadvantage at a time when international travelers have more choices than ever before,” she stressed.
Frasco emphasized that strategic and sustained investment in branding and promotion is “not optional but indispensable” if the Philippines is to secure its rightful share of the global market and build on its gains.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta lamented the drastic budget cut, calling it a political move that ultimately hurts Filipinos.
He urged the restoration of the higher budget previously granted to the DOT.
Senator JV Ejercito, chair of the Senate’s tourism committee, also pledged support for the agency as he commended the DOT for establishing Tourist Rest Areas nationwide and vowed to push for more tourism roads in high-traffic areas.
Ejercito echoed concerns over the slashed promotions budget, warning that it is the Filipino people, not lawmakers, who will bear the brunt.
“And I don’t think we can really compete with P100 million compared to our ASEAN neighbors’ budget,” he said, assuring Frasco and the DOT that they now have “allies” in the Senate.
The DOT is proposing a budget of P3.718 billion for the year 2026, around three percent less than in 2025.
